Russia conducted a significant attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Thursday, firing nearly 200 missiles and drones, resulting in over a million households being left without power, according to Ukrainian officials. This marked the 11th major strike on the energy system since March, with fears growing that Russia aims to cripple Ukraine's power generation capacity before winter. The attack was Russia's second major aerial assault on Ukraine's power grid in less than two weeks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the attack was in response to recent strikes by Ukraine on Russian territory using U.S. medium-range ATACMS missiles. Putin stated that Russia's future targets could include "decision-making centres" in Kyiv. Ukraine's military reported that Russia used 91 missiles and 97 drones in Thursday's attack, with Ukrainian air defences managing to shoot down a significant number of them.
Cluster munitions were reportedly used in some regions, causing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to call it "an insidious escalation." These munitions release multiple small bombs over a wide area, posing a threat to civilians during and after an attack.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has seen the destruction of around half of Ukraine's energy infrastructure over the past three years. Kyiv's Western allies have provided support to help protect power generation with air defence systems and funds for rebuilding.
The war has been favoring Russia in recent months, with its larger army making advances in eastern areas of Ukraine. Explosions were reported in various cities across central and western Ukraine, leading to widespread power outages and disruptions to water supplies. No casualties were reported in Kyiv after the prolonged air raid alert. Local officials have implemented measures to provide support to affected residents during blackouts.